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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Gunmen Kill Six People in Kaduna Villages

Two persons were reportedly killed on Sunday in a violence that greeted the announcement of a new chief, the Res-Tsam, in Fadan- Chawai in the Kauru Local government Area of Kaduna State.

Four other persons were killed by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in separate incidents in another two villages. Among the four were a man and his wife said to have been killed in Rikarwan village in the Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of the state.

Also, another man, Dauda Maidawa; and his wife, Alheri who were said to have travelled to their farm located at Fadan- Karshi in the Sanga Local Government Area of the state in the early hours of Saturday were found dead.

However, when contacted, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, Aminu Lawan, a Superintendent of Police, said he was yet to receive details of the incidents.

“I am not aware but give me some time to contact relevant persons and find out from them,” he told our correspondent.

At Fadan-Chawai, it was learnt that the youths had gone on rampage, destroying property worth millions of naira over the announcement of the new chief in the area.

The National President of Chawai Development Association, Chief Augustine Audi, said the governor’s order for the Chawai Council of Kingmakers to nominate and send to him the name of the son of the late Res Tsam for appointment caused the crisis.

He said, “As a result of the appointment and announcement of the new Res Tsam by Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Yero, violence erupted in the chiefdom, leading to the killing of two people and property destroyed by rampaging youths in the area.

“We do not see the need for the urgency in appointing the next Res Tsam when the customs and tradition of the Chawai people do not support that.

“There are traditional rites that were to be performed before the appointment, which is why unlike the Hausa or Emirate system, it takes time before a new Res Tsam is appointed.”

Meanwhile, an eyewitness said the killing of the Rikarwan couple, Ayuba Kure and Sarah occurred on Sunday night.

“The gunmen came on Sunday night with dangerous weapons, killed the couple and injured four others. You know our communities are isolated and no one knows the mission of the gunmen,” said the eyewitness, who asked not to be named.

A brother of the victim, John Joseph, said the matter was reported to the Divisional Police Officer at Fadan-Karshi Police Station who then mobilised for a search that led to the discovery of the remains of his brother and the wife.

But when contacted, the spokesman for Yero, Mallam Ahmed Maiyaki, said, “Nobody was killed and everything is peaceful and calm in the areas mentioned.”